Leslie Berestein Rojas Immigration and Emerging Communities Reporter

An award-winning journalist with several years’ experience reporting on immigration issues, Berestein Rojas most recently covered immigration on the U.S.-Mexico border for the San Diego Union-Tribune. She has retraced the steps of migrants along desert smuggling trails, investigated immigrant detention contractors, and told the stories of families left behind in Mexico’s migrant-sending towns.

A native of Cuba raised in Los Angeles, Leslie has also written for Time, People, the Orange County Register and the Los Angeles Times. She has reported from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

Stories by Leslie Berestein Rojas

As the mid-August date approaches for when young undocumented immigrants can begin to apply for deferred action - temporary legally status under a new Obama administration policy - those who think they might be eligible have been racing to get the paperwork they need.

On eve of deportation-protection policy, immigrants, officials on their marks - Seattle Times Young undocumented immigrants who might be eligible for temporary legal status under a new policy are preparing their paperwork as the application period nears, and officials are preparing for the crush.

The most recent of several legislative attempts to make English the official language of the United States heads to a House committee this week for a hearing. And while it may not get any more traction than previous attempts, it's bound to draw headlines again.

The past week has seen escalating tension in Anaheim over the police shootings of two Latino men, the start of the Olympics in London (and an athlete's expulsion over an anti-immigrant tweet), and the death of the outspoken actress Lupe Ontiveros, who didn't mince words about the roles offered to Latinos in Hollywood.

What religion the president of United States embraces is relatively unimportant to Americans so long as that person has strong religious beliefs, according to a new Pew survey - unless, of course, those religious beliefs happen to be Islamic.

Hospitals Fear Cuts in Aid for Care to Illegal Immigrants - New York Times Undocumented immigrants aren't eligible for health insurance under the federal Affordable Care Act. And under the new law, the hospitals many that many of these uninsured rely on as a safety net stand to lose half their federal reimbursement for treating uninsured patients.

Ontiveros, who died yesterday, was as respected for her film and television work as she was for her outspokenness on the limited roles offered to Latino actors. She once counted having played a maid more than 150 times.

A new Pew poll has a majority of Americans saying they are "comfortable" with Mitt Romney being Mormon, as they are with President Obama being Christian. But for those who mistakenly believe Obama to be Muslim, the comfort level drops.

A review of deportation cases announced almost a year ago by the Obama administration is having limited success when it comes to weeding out and closing the cases of people eligible to stay in the country, let alone alleviating the backlog in the immigration courts.